ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a couple of West Highland Terriers for company.

My passion is photography but it is a work in progress.

I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN

ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Saturday, 8 March 2014

I’M CRAP. (08/03/14)

The wind is still blowing though it is a southerly so warm. This afternoon the dogs and I went to take some pictures of a superb instrumentalist. The bar was too small to use a fill flash and Rod Webster was too close to the wall. I knew he would be but wasn’t prepared to accept defeat. This is a really small venue.

Riverman Rod with a smile on his face. I do appreciate his talent. I needed another strobe to get rid of the shadow. Nowhere to put it he plays jammed in a corner.

Sorry Rod you deserve better. Two strobes would see the job a good un. A bit of posing with a smile wouldn’t go amiss.

It would take me over an hour to do him justice and a half hour for Rod to forget the vets bill. His poor Alsatian stuck his head down a badger set last night and got savaged. Poor dog he was only being friendly. Molly used to go down Badger holes and has a scar on her tail for her trouble. She must have told Alf because he gives them a wide berth.

Hi Adrian, have you tried bouncing the flash off of the ceiling. There is another method, it's what the news photographers use. First tape a white card on the top of your flash, then point the flash at an angle towards the ceiling. The card acts as a bounce for front fill and the flash bounces off of the ceiling. Give it a try and see what happens. Just make sure that the ceiling is white. ;-)

Thanks Horst, I'll tape on a white card as the ceiling is the same as the walls. Rod has seen his pictures and is coming on Monday to subject himself for more scrutiny. I use a soft box and a flash bracket. I could have got rid of the shadow on the wall with another strobe but the place was too busy.He is also having a shower and bringing changes of clothes and hats. It would be nice if he didn't wear glasses. Not all subjects are perfect specimens.

PS. Horst is it daft to set up a couple of strobes to act as back fill light. I've done it with cars and it works. ETTL doesn't in this circumstance. I shoot manual and today had to drop to !/30s to get DOF. I only shoot with flash through a soft box or diffuser. Folk that know me will testify that I don't waste many shots. Today I shot five getting lighting and trying to avoid flare from his specs, I then picked these three from the next eight, I took another four of the spectators. They were fine as they were away from the wall,

If you had not mentioned the shadow I might not have noticed. Still the pictures are fine - clear and sharp. The first one is the best I think, the second he looks a bit distracted but the third is the most interesting. He looks like he's really feeling the music. Actually, it is my fav.

David, I always have trouble with flash. It is a necessary tool but even with a few trial shots I find it difficult to shoot fast. Yes the portraits will do with a bit of Photoshopping but a perfect capture would be nice.Clear and sharp is what photography is about for me and at this moment.

It's all very well for those who can use a studio for portraits, live performances must be an altogether more difficult proposition. I really like the first one - conveys a nice warm personality and the shadows don't really distract from the subject.

John, I could Photoshop the shadows. It is only a small bar and with twenty people in impossible to move around. I would have shot in natural light and avoided flare from his glasses but the place is lit by Halogen, Fluorescent and daylight so flash is easier.

Adrian, I noticed that you have a flash on one side of the camera, a lot of photographers use a second flash on the other side as well therefor removing the shadow. In other words 2 potable strobes one on each side of the camera. It's just a thought.